


The Polar Express

by TidbitsAndThoughts



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: Cooking Cat - Freeform, DJ Grooves - Freeform, Dadtcher, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS, MU, Timmy - Freeform, Vanessa is spooky grandma status and is only here for less than a page, additional characters include - Freeform, but the point is it's Christmas and everyone's happy cuz I said so, i mean moonjumper and snatch avoid her but she's not going after them, oc Beaker, owo seals for like half a second, polar express au, queen vanessa - Freeform, speaking of Vanessa everyone gets along here, subconites - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:15:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28292235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TidbitsAndThoughts/pseuds/TidbitsAndThoughts
Summary: Hat and Bow are just trying to get their time pieces back, but as they befriend the denizens of Earth and celebrate holidays all about family and friends with them, the poor girls start to question what home is to them. They eventually need to return to their home planet to start another job, but right now, as their friends do everything to make them believe in Christmas magic, they start to wonder if there’s a magic strong enough to give them what they want for Christmas.In other words, the Conductor is working overtime to work movie magic but Hat and Bow aren't fooled by fancy tickets and they know the Christmas train is just the Owl Express... But even so, as they run into a tired looking ghost riding the top of the train and this world's Santa, Hat and Bow find a very real magic to keep their spirits bright.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 33





	1. Dreams are Dancing in the Children's Eyes

Hat leaned back in her pillows, gazing up at the twinkling lights and tinsel Cooking Cat and Mu had strung weeks earlier. Beside her, Mu and Bow were snuggled under blankets. Bow had slipped away into dreamland first, while Mu stayed up as long as her tired eyes would allow to relay as many Christmas legends about magic trains that traveled northward and traditions native to parts of earth, she followed Bow’s example not too long after. This left Hat wide awake, listening for the sound of gentle sleigh bells that would supposedly herald Santa Claus’ appearance with presents.

Hat had seen incredible things on this planet. She saw a Mafia headquarters suspended on a geyser, met two halves of a prince’s soul who constantly bickered with each other, and even met a goat who had become a constellation in a realm of Twilight. Yes, while she had witnessed many things bordering on the impossible as she and Bow had worked to reclaim their time pieces, somehow the idea of a large person in a crimson suit flying around with magic reindeer to give every child a gift was farfetched to her. 

Sighing, Hat wiggled out of the pillow pile carefully so as not to disturb Mu and Bow. She padded over to the large window and looked down at the earth, which held tightly contained sections of various characters and charming homes. While she and Bow had been celebrating holidays for weeks, like Hanukkah with Cooking Cat and a solstice festival with the goats and nomads, celebrations weren’t over as they had plans to celebrate Christmas with the Conductor.

And Mu was convinced they needed to stay up for Santa, even though they were on a spaceship and Hat doubted that even if the jolly, generous man existed, he would put energy into trying to sneak presents onto the dwelling of two aliens.

She doubted Santa could wrap what she most wanted in a box with a ribbon.

Hat trudged back to bed and snuggled up between Mu and Bow. She closed her eyes with a frown, ready to settle into dreams sweeter than reality, when a train whistle tore through space.

The three girls jumped forward, startled wide awake.

“All aboard!” A familiar voice with a Scottish accent shouted.

Hat and Bow exchanged bewildered looks while Mu scurried towards the door.

“What are you two sleepyheads waiting for?” she demanded, slipping into her slippers as she hopped by the door. “Come on!”

“What time is it?” Bow yawned, rubbing at her lavender eyes before shuffling to her feet. “Is the conductor here already?”

“I don’t even think it’s Christmas yet,” Hat sighed, lethargically pushing herself back up right after having gotten settled down. Hat pushed her hand into Bow’s and the girls grabbed their signature hat and bow respectively before they followed Mu into the main room of the spaceship. As soon as they stepped into the dimly lit area, a truly strange sight greeted them outside the window.

The Owl Express was suspended in space outside the window door, riding crimson threads that wavered in the low gravity atmosphere. The Conductor hung off one of the train cars, holding onto the railing as he waved a yellow wing at the girls.

“Hurry up and get on!” he yelled. “The sooner me train’s back on her rails the better!”

“What?” Hat darted over to the glass she and Bow had boarded up and pushed it open. Bow hopped up next to her and both stuck their heads out, examining the sight of the large, shifting train. “What is this?”

“Why you lassies are looking at the Polar Express!” The Conductor yelled, gesturing towards the train. “Now shake a tail feather and get on. I’m not joking; she wasn’t made for space travel.”

“Let’s go!” Mu gave the girls a shove and they tumbled out of the spaceship. They yelped as they floated haphazardly but before they could get pulled down to Earth or ram into the train, threads whipped out and wrapped around their waists, pulling them gently towards the Conductor. Once they were safely boarded, the threads snapped back to where they came from and the Conductor led them into the train car, with Mu following close behind.

“Great!” The Conductor waved towards the front of the train and a high-pitched whistle emitted from the engine. He turned back towards the girls standing at the door before corralling them into one of the cars. Hat thought she noticed him slip something into Bow’s pocket that glittered gold as he pushed them further inside. “Hurry up now, you’ll want to be seated when we re-enter the atmosphere.”

“What’s going on?” Bow asked as she and Hat examined the train car with surprise. After all the times they had been on the Owl Express, they hadn’t once seen a car with such a… normal seating arrangement. Rows of seats lined up with a neat aisle faced forward. The train windows stretched across the walls, framing their spaceship and the stars behind it.

“We’re going to the North Pole, that’s what’s going on!” The Conductor continued to shuffle them into seats. “Now, tickets!”

“We don’t have any,” Bow said, dropping into the seat next to Hat.

“Check yer pocket,” the Conductor instructed, pulling out a hole puncher.

Bow followed instructions and investigated her pajama pocket, removing a glittering golden ticket with wonder in her expression. Hat watched with an unimpressed look, looking from the Conductor to Bow and back.

“You too, lass.” The Conductor aimed a nod at Hat as he punched in a letter in Bow’s ticket. Hat held back an eyeroll as she slipped her hand into her own pocket and indeed found a glossy ticket with the words “Polar Express” written in cursive across the gold. She handed it to the Conductor before scooting closer to Bow who was examining her ticket.

“H?” Bow read the one letter.

“B?” Hat read her own punched out letter as the Conductor handed back her ticket.

Bow met her eyes and held out her ticket and Hat moved to exchange them.

“Ah-ah-ah! Just what do you think yer doing?” The Conductor waved his wing between them. “Tickets are _not_ transferable!”

“I think you made a mistake with the letters though.” Hat raised an eyebrow.

“I certainly did not!” His feathers bristled before the train lurched. The Conductor stumbled before grabbing onto the seat in front of them, where Mu was already bracing herself. Hat gripped the back of Mu’s seat while Bow did the same.

Turning towards the window and wincing as the sensation of falling flung her stomach into her throat, Hat watched as the train plummeted down to earth. She braced herself. The crimson threads increased in number and collected around the train as they tried to futilely slow their descent. Bow screamed while Mu pumped her fist in the air with a cry of delight.

Finally, they slammed down with a clamorous crack of the wheels against metal. The impact sent the Conductor flying while Hat’s stomach dropped, and she felt lightheaded and dizzy as the heavy train bounced a little before locking tightly into the rails. While not the first time she fell to Earth, it seemed the sensation would never get less terrifying.

“Ugh, finally,” the Conductor huffed as he pushed back to his feet, reaching out to Mu to add a letter to her ticket.

“So, why are we going to the North Pole?” Hat asked, tucking her ticket back into her pocket.

“That’s where Santa lives!” Mu bounced around in her seat, her eyes flashing with excitement. “Honestly weren’t you listening to my stories earlier? I also told you about the Polar Express too!”

Hat vaguely remembered Mu’s story. It was a book about a train that took kids to see Santa on Christmas. Was that the plan then? To re-enact the book as a movie?

“We’re going to see Santa?” Hat deadpanned. “On the Owl Express?”

“Not Owl!” the Conductor chirped. “The Polar Express!”

“Is this for a movie?” Bow tilted her head, causing her dark coils of curls to bounce with the bow in her hair.

“Why would it be a movie?” the Conductor put his wings on his hip. “You must have me confused for somebody else! This is the Polar Express and always has been; nothing like a quaint and charming train used in the best Western films of all time, well deserving of every trophy they’ve won and then some!”

“Right.” Hat met Bow’s gaze and rolled her eyes. Bow stifled a giggle.

“Just to clarify,” Bow added, straightening in her seat, “you are not the Conductor who is a movie director?”

“No, Ma’am.”

“But the Conductor who conducts the Polar Express that makes stops in space and goes to the North Pole?”

“That’s right!” The Conductor nodded. “Though this is the first year we stopped in space since it’s the first time we had passengers there!” He smiled, puffing out his chest a bit. 

“And why do we need to visit Santa?” Hat propped her elbow against the back of her seat. The train whistled outside, and the rhythmic churning of the wheels helped relax her after the plummet just a few moments ago.

“Well yer don’t _need_ to.” The Conductor shrugged. “But it is a special opportunity! Not every child gets to see Santa. And if yer lucky, you can tell him what you want for Christmas directly! You just might get it.”

Hat narrowed her eyes. This had to be one of the Conductor’s movies, right? But he was usually upfront about when he was filming. He had to be for legal reasons, if she remembered correctly.

“Anyway, I better go check up on me crew. You get comfortable, we’ve got a long ride ahead of us!” The Conductor gave them a salute before heading out of the train car and towards the engine. Hat leaned back with a sigh as Mu draped her arms over her seat.

“Are you a part of this?” Hat asked with a huff.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mu insisted. “I’ve never seen that bird-thing in my life.”

“Is this how you guys celebrate Christmas?” Bow tilted her head, kicking her legs on the seat as she glanced down at her ticket.

“Not usually. We’ll still have dinner and games with our Conductor tomorrow morning,” Mu beamed brightly.

“I guess we can always keep an eye out for time pieces at the ‘North Pole.’” Hat made air quotes with her fingers before crossing her arms.

“Come on, Hat,” Bow said quietly, her brows drooping slightly. “You and I both agreed that taking time off would be okay for the holidays.”

“I know,” Hat relented, slouching in her seat as she turned away. She could still see Bow’s disappointed look reflected in the window though. Hat frowned. “I’m just… anxious about getting them all back.”

“I know you two want to get home,” Mu offered gently. “But…” she trailed off, getting a pensive look on her face that had routinely graced her features ever since they stopped her from using the time pieces to turn the whole Earth into a broiling lava planet.

While they had made up and neither Hat nor Bow held any ill-will towards Mu, the mustached girl still seemed rather subdued after the whole ordeal.

“Are you okay, Mu?” Bow asked gently.

“I’m fine.” Mu forced a smile that soon met her eyes as she jumped in her seat. “We’re going to visit Santa! What will you two ask for? I want a brand-new slingshot so I can mess with the Mafia.”

“I thought Santa was all about rewarding nice behavior.” Bow smirked.

“This is nice behavior! I’m being a hero,” Mu insisted dramatically. “It’s not like I’m asking for more jars! Though… I have considered it.”

Bow continued to tease Mu, who turned it back to Bow, demanding to know what toys Bow wants for Christmas. Hat spaced, leaning on the arm of her chair and staring out at the dark desert. Shadows were all she could see, with varying degrees of opacity to help her guess where canyons or hills occupied the landscape. Tilting her head back, she could spot pinpricks of stars and the golden moon, but not as clearly as she could if she were on her spaceship.

The Conductor’s voice came over the speakers, explaining they were making a stop at Time’s End Bookstore, but Hat ignored him, sighing as she just… stared… blankly as she let her mind wander.

She tried to remember all the hourglasses they still needed to find. She and Bow had gotten all of the time pieces except for the ones in Nyakuza Metro. Each time they recovered one, the Empress swiped it and locked it away, instructing them to find more. Hat was annoyed when the Empress pilfered their items but also… a little relieved.

She exhaled, closing her eyes for a moment as she thought about when she and Bow would have to go home.

Home would never be as nurturing as Earth. Sure, a lot of the residents had been rather hostile at first, but even after it all, Hat and Bow had successfully befriended most everyone. Even Snatcher had stopped telling them to beat it when they returned to the forest after finishing his Death Wish contracts. And they had become close with the subconites and Moonjumper. Snatcher was pulled into their games more frequently than not, and Bow had managed to even get onto good terms with Vanessa, succeeding in bringing the older woman cookies as a peace offering. Bow had nearly killed Snatcher and Moonjumper dead again with heart attacks when they found out but so long as Vanessa never touched Bow, she never had to worry about freezing. (Though, the ghosts were quick to work with the Badge Seller to make badges for the girls to protect against magic ice).

Somehow, all the spirits of Subcon felt more like family than Hat’s and Bow’s actual caretakers, waiting for them to report back before embarking on another journey across countless galaxies to harvest an unending amount of magic sand to make more time pieces to fuel more adventures. It had been fun, being a pilot, and going home meant being showered in praise (and a healthy dose of stern constructive criticism), but… sometimes a kid just wanted to drop a spiderweb-bomb on a grumpy ghost and tease him mercilessly until he read her stories and she fell asleep in his chair feeling safer than anywhere in any time or galaxy. Was that too much to ask?

Her deflated reflection reminded her that, yes. Yes, it was.

She was snapped out of her morose ponderings when the train slowed and jerked to a stop outside of the outskirts of one of the desert towns. Bow crawled over, peering over her shoulder as they watched the Conductor step outside and greet a young boy with short black hair.

From in the train, the girls could clearly hear the boisterous Conductor giving Timmy the same theatric speech. Timmy’s response was muted, but he must have said something to get under the Conductor’s feathers, because he squawked about the decorations being important set pieces.

“Set pieces,” Hat muttered, giving Bow a can-you-believe-this-nonsense look to which Bow shrugged.

“I think it’s sweet we get to have a little adventure that doesn’t involve work,” Bow whispered softly.

Mu, who was listening, smiled with pride at Bow’s response, which Hat caught.

Biting her tongue, Hat turned as the Conductor and Timmy entered the train car. Timmy, with his bright blue markings on his face and orange pajamas on, leapt over to the girls, beaming.

“Who’s excited to go to the North Pole?” Timmy asked in a slightly exaggerated voice. “I sure am!”

“It’ll be fun!” Mu added, holding out a thumbs up.

“Sure will!” Timmy returned the thumbs up, sounding like his words were heavily scripted.

“I told everyone we needed to rehearse,” the Conductor muttered under his breath.

“Tim let you leave the bookstore?” Hat asked dryly, desperate to derail Timmy’s forced acting.

“Well, yeah!” Timmy bounced onto the seat with Mu and leaned over the back, bobbing his head. “It’s closed, you know. Seeing as it’s night. And the holidays. We’ve been busy.” He slouched and draped his arm over his violet eyes dramatically. “I need a break.”

“The bookstore probably gets a lot of customers this time of year, huh?” Bow encouraged. “Any time Hat and I have stopped by, it’s so crowded.”

“It’s the worst,” Timmy whined before straightening with a slightly guilty look. “I mean, I’m happy for Pops, since the business is good, but being the only bookstore for Subcon, the owls in the area, and the closest to the nomads gets kinda frustrating.”

“Snatcher does read a lot,” Hat mused.

“And Moonjumper!” Bow added.

“And all two hundred minions come in at once to get them books,” Timmy reflected, gazing off over their shoulders as he feigned a tormented look. “So much wrapping. So many books.”

Hat snickered at this, picturing the minions cluttering the small shop as they made sure not to accidentally double up on a present.

“Speaking of, did you three finish your shopping?” Timmy asked, looking between the girls.

Mu jumped into listing off everything she got for her grandpa and then the toys she made for the Conductor’s grandkids. Bow mentioned—after checking to make sure the Conductor wasn’t around—the kitchen knives Cooking Cat helped them purchase and the portable disco stereo that they tweaked to have Grooves’ favorite songs pre-programmed. Timmy recalled the pastry book Bow had purchased a while ago and she explained it was for Vanessa.

Neither girl brought up the handmade gifts they had made for Moonjumper and Snatcher, the ghosts who the girls probably spent the most time with and were most nervous to give gifts to. Especially after hearing about how many books they were getting; how could they compete with that? Nevertheless, the aliens chatted with Timmy and Mu, though Hat let Bow do most of the talking. The train chugged on, and soon the outside scenery shifted into snow-covered pines with snowflakes catching on the window before melting from the heating inside.

They rode northward.


	2. Hearts are Singing, Bells are Ringing

Soon, the Conductor returned with another familiar face, both carrying trays of piping mugs of hot chocolate and plates of cookies.

“Hello, sugars!” Cooking Cat greeted the aliens with her tail swishing behind her.

“Cat!” Bow and Hat cheered as she crossed over and placed the tray between the girls.

“Are you two having—” Cat trailed off when she caught the Conductor’s glare while he gave Timmy and Mu their own tray. She cleared her throat, glancing up as she scratched her chin. “I mean, hello, strangers, I hope you’re enjoying the train ride.”

“Cat,” Hat deadpanned as she lifted a mug to her lips, “blink twice if the movie director is holding you at knife point.”

Cooking Cat giggled, clasping her paws together. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Sweetheart.”

Hat sighed while Bow snorted, taking a bite of a cookie. She gasped and jumped up onto her seat, glancing around. Her actions sent crumbs flying.

“These taste like Vanessa’s cookies!” Bow whirled towards Cooking Cat.

“Hey!” the Conductor objected. “Sit down, please. This is a train not a pecking playground!”

Bow settled down, giving the Conductor doe eyes.

“And there’s not anyone yer know on this train!” he snapped. “So, don’t ask!”

Bow craned her neck to look back at Hat dramatically, letting out a heavy sigh. Hat giggled and Cooking Cat covered her own snickering with her paw. But then, an old-fashioned telephone at the front of the aisle let out a clamorous ring that caused everyone but the Conductor to jump.

“What is it now?” He grumbled, shuffling over to the phone. As soon as he answered, a terribly distorted voice crackled loudly from the speaker.

“Conductor, darling! We’ve got a situation! The northern forest tracks are frozen over—”

“Then just take the detour!” the Conductor squawked irritably. “We talked about this!”

“Yes, yes, but we can’t figure out how to change direction,” the voice, who Hat suspected was DJ Grooves, fretted.

“You can’t—Are you pecknecks pulling my feathers?” The Conductor dashed over to window in time to watch as the train car shot past the railroad switch out in the snow. “Peck it all!”

While the Conductor and Grooves quibbled with the Conductor yelling instructions that poor Grooves was clearly not following, Hat glanced around the car, trying to figure out how she could help.

“Aha,” Hat cheered under her breath as she spotted an emergency break right on the wall behind her and Bow’s seat.

“Hat? What are you—” Bow trailed off, understanding settling on her features as Hat scrambled up on the seat and wrapped her fingers around the red handle. Without a moment to lose, Hat yanked the handle down and something lurched beneath them.

As metal screeched and the train skidded to a violent stop, everyone cried out as momentum flung them forward. A dish crashed and Timmy’s soft but ardent “aw beans” joined the scraping sounds of the break. Finally, everything hushed as the train came to a complete stop, with only the static from the still connected phone adding white noise to the stunned silence.

“Right,” the Conductor huffed, righting himself and fixing his hat as he gave Hat a curt nod, “Quick thinking, lass, but don’t go doing that again.”

“Good job!” Bow beamed as Hat plopped back down next to her. In the seat in front of them, Cat and Mu were helping Timmy clean up his spilled hot chocolate.

“What do yer mean we’re stuck?” the Conductor yelled. “We don’t have time for this!”

“Well the train isn’t responding!” Grooves insisted. “This hunk of metal is broken.”

“Broken?” The Conductor stamped his feet. “Yer engineers! Fix it!”

“I’m sorry but instructions on how to fix a broken death trap wasn’t in the script you gave me, _darling_ ,” Grooves hissed.

“I can help!” Bow called, raising her hand and peeking over the seat.

The Conductor glanced over, gritting his teeth (beak?) as he appraised Bow. Hat wasn’t sure why he was hesitating because Bow had helped him fix the train before, especially after his train rush movie, but soon he relented.

“Fine,” he huffed, hanging up the phone and crossing over to Bow. “We’ll take the back way, it’ll be quicker.”

Bow hopped up to join him and the Conductor slipped out of his black coat with the shining golden buttons and draped it around her shoulders, revealing a tie shaped like a Christmas tree he wore underneath, complete with glittery pompom ornaments and pipe cleaner tinsel.

Hat also stood up, but the Conductor waved her back.

“You stay and relax, lass,” the Conductor encouraged. “No sense in troubling you girls more than we already have.”

Hat crinkled her nose.

“But—”

“I’ll be quick!” Bow promised, giving a twirl in the coat that was a touch too big on her. “Stay and play games with Mu and Timmy.”

“Yeah!” Mu cried while Timmy continued meticulously scrubbing at the brown stain on his pajamas, unresponsive.

Hat let out a huffy whine but sat back down, watching Bow leave with the Conductor towards the caboose of the train.

“Don’t worry, sugar,” Cat purred as she cleaned up their empty dishes, “Bow will be back before you know it.”

“Yeah,” Hat slumped, grabbing a lock of her hair and brushing her fingers through it. While Cat returned to the kitchen in a different cart, footsteps could be heard above them and Hat tilted her head. The back way was on top of the train? She supposed that explained Bow needing a coat.

With the train stuck and the snow drifting down in gentle flakes, Hat was pulled into a game Mu and Timmy learned as kids. It was a simple rhyme accompanied by clapping their hands together or tapping their knees in time with the words. The game was in how fast they could go. It was fine and if Hat wasn’t already on edge and if Bow hadn’t abandoned her, it would probably be fun. But the longer Hat had to feign enjoyment, the more her legs bobbed anxiously.

“I’m gonna go check on Bow,” Hat declared, shuffling off of her seat.

“By yourself?” Mu asked. “Do you want help?”

“Or to get Cooking Cat?” Timmy asked. When Mu gave him a look that could kill, he winced and rolled his eyes. “I mean do you want me to go ask the strange but nice Cat lady who cooks to help?”

“Nah.” Hat adjusted her top hat and bounded over to the door. “I’ll be fine. If anyone asks, I went to the bathroom or something.” 

“Be careful!” Timmy instructed and Hat nodded, waving her hand as she slipped out into the cold.

Shivering in the snow and ice that clung to the train usually covered in desert dust, Hat switched her top hat for her bear beanie and exhaled. She could see her breath and she couldn’t stop a smile as she momentarily imagined herself like a fire-breathing galaxy dragon flying through the cosmos. But! She couldn’t dwell for long! She had to find her friend.

Hat immediately located the ladder leading to the top of the still frozen train. As she started to scale it, the sound of a haunted violin echoed through the snowfall. Furrowing her brows, she hurried her ascent and poked her head over the blanket of snow that coated the train. A trail of two pairs of footsteps—one from a dapper pair of shoes and the other a smaller print left by Bow’s boots—lead towards a flickering blue flame.

“Snatcher?” Hat whispered to herself, brightening when she thought about her contractual BFF. She leapt up, following the sound of the violin picking up in urgency with a flowing song that ached and yet flowed with an energy and vibrance she wanted to dance to. As the music grew louder and the snowfall became heavier, Hat soon came to a fireplace that crackled under a kettle and, sitting by it was not a snake-like ghost, but a man, playing the violin.

Hat stood, dumbstruck by this stranger who had his eyes closed as he leaned against the instrument. His fluffy, chestnut hair framed soft features underneath a worn-looking hat that matched his tattered cloak. Underneath, he wore a plain dark purple shirt paired with muddy trousers tucked into violet, knee-length boots that had golden strings tied in a way that almost resembled an outline of a crown.

He peeked an eye open before closing it again. Then he did a double take and the bow scraped ungracefully against the strings as the song came to an end.

His golden irises shimmered as he appraised the girl before him. A toothy grin stretched across his features.

“What brings you up here, kid?” His voice almost sounded familiar. Hat, having expected she’d find Snatcher by the blue fire, thought the stranger might have sounded like him, if Snatcher didn’t have a reverb in his voice.

But that didn’t really make sense to her. She had never seen Snatcher in human form. At least, not face to face. She and Bow had seen the storybook about the prince and Vanessa and had heard more from Moonjumper and eventually after that, Snatcher began opening up a little more himself. But they had never seen Snatcher take a form like this.

“Conductor got your tongue?” The man raised an eyebrow though his gaze and smile shone with unbridled mischief.

“I’m looking for Bow,” Hat admitted, finally finding her voice as she edged closer. He didn’t seem to mind that she scrutinized him as he tucked his violin back into its case. “Do I know you?”

“You’re not supposed to know anyone on this train, right?” His voice was still light with teasing, but a brief flicker of genuine confusion flashed across his features before he masked it with a smile again.

“If so, everyone’s pretty bad at acting,” Hat said, earning a snort from the man as he pulled out two mugs from a cloth with ruby red and royal purple stripes.

“In that case,” he smirked, pouring thick looking hot chocolate with chunks into the mugs and handing one over to her, “call me the King of the North Pole!” He clinked his mug against hers and tossed the drink back.

Hat stared down into the mug, unnerved by the consistency of the steaming liquid.

“Isn’t Santa supposed to be the one in charge of the North Pole?” She raised a brow.

Instead of answering, he glanced down at her mug and back up at her. She sighed but took a tentative sip. The texture was off—grainy—but it tasted like hot chocolate and had a hint of cinnamon that added an extra touch of warmth.

“Did you just drop chocolate chunks into hot milk and call it good?” She swirled the drink around, trying to see into the murky depths to search for the globs of half-melted chocolate.

“Okay,” he defended with a grunt, “normally I’d outsource but I might have been quick to get out of the kitchen.” He shivered and tossed back the rest of his drink.

While his shiver might have been more from whatever was in the kitchen, Hat felt a chill run down her spine despite the warm drink in her hands. The snowstorm had gotten worst, and it was becoming increasingly harder to see beyond the snow.

The stranger pushed to his feet, crossed over, and before she knew it, he had draped his cloak around her, instantly helping to shield her from the wind and ice.

“Wasn’t the other kid with the loud bird-thing?” the stranger asked as he tied the strings of the cloak to secure it around her. With him kneeling to match her height, the bags under his eyes were more pronounced. “Why’re you going after them? She should be fine, right?”

“It’s no fun without Bow,” Hat admitted.

“Geez, the other kids aren’t entertaining enough for you? Oops, look I messed up.” He pointed at the bow he had tied and when she looked down, he flicked her nose.

“Hey!” Hat clamped her hand over her nose. It hadn’t hurt, but still! The stranger snickered and tossed her a wink.

She wasn’t convinced yet that this stranger was Snatcher but the evidence for it was piling up. For a moment, she wondered if Snatcher would even help the Conductor with a movie like this. Probably not, even if she and Bow were a part of it. But it would be more fun if he or Moonjumper had joined…

“Kid?” The stranger tilted his head, his smirk falling away. “It was just a joke, are you okay?”

“I just want to find Bow,” Hat muttered, side-stepping around him and trudging through the wind.

A high-pitched whistle came from the engine and Hat stumbled as the train backed up the tracks. She dropped her mug and it shattered as Hat felt herself slip towards the edge

“Whoa, there.” A hand quickly snatched hers and pulled her back towards the center of the roof. “Careful, kid, don’t want you dying on Christmas Eve!” He flashed a wicked grin as he headed back to the fire he had going. After kicking the snow over it to put it out, he wrapped up his bindle with the striped cloth and motioned for her to follow along as the train lurched to another stop.

“Come on! If we don’t get you to the front of the train before it reaches the tunnel, it’ll become the haunted polar express.” He paused, giving her a look. “You _do_ believe in ghosts, don’t you?”

Hat deadpanned, “Do you?”

“Ahahahahaha,” he let out a cackle as wickedly mirthful as her contractual BFF. It was a laugh that resounded through the wind. “That’s a good one, kiddo!” He snickered as he motioned for her to follow before disappearing into the dark and snow.

“Wait,” Hat called. “You are Snatcher, aren’t you? Wait!”

The train began chugging forward again and Hat slipped on the ice, falling flat onto the snow. The train picked up speed and she felt her heart lurch as she felt her energy drain. Howling wind beat against her nose and cheeks and her bare hands ached as they clutched the snow. The train whistle wailed, and she blinked up at the dark with snowflakes dotting her lashes and hindering her vision.

“Kid!” He called, running back with a wooden sled in his hand. “What’s wrong with you? Get up!” Her hand was grabbed once more, and she was yanked to her feet. She stumbled forward, knocking into him and causing him to stiffen from the sudden contact. “You asleep? Come on, kid, we have to hurry!”

The train tilted back, and Hat automatically wrapped her arms around his waist to hold on. He sighed, plopping the sled down.

“Get on,” he instructed, gently nudging her over to it. She obliged, struggling to focus with the snow and wind constantly gnawing at her features. She watched as he stooped to pick up the rope at the front of the sled and started trekking up the train, which was following a track that was progressively getting steeper and steeper.

“Hold on tight!” He kept his back to her as he pushed through the snow. Hat pulled the cloak tighter around herself before clinging to the sled, grateful that his presence helped to shield her from the worst of the storm.

“Are you Snatcher?” She called over the wind.

“I told you, kiddo,” he returned, looking over his shoulder as he gestured around them while he projected, “I am the King of the North Pole!” Once his echo died down, he added with a shrug and a smirk, “besides, do I look like a handsome purple ghost to you?”

“You look like a beanpole who hasn’t slept in centuries,” Hat sassed.

“Hey!” Snatcher, she confirmed, flinched in front of her, looking back with a scowl. She couldn’t help but giggle, and he softened, his shoulders slouching as he readjusted his grip on the reins. The train neared the peak of a mountain and he asked, sounding genuinely curious, “Are you enjoying this excursion to the North Pole? Or, let me guess, too old to see Santa?”

“It’s not that.” Hat’s knuckles whitened as she gripped the sled, feeling the train tilt further back. Even Snatcher had to hurry to the edge of a train car and grab the ledge as they scaled the mountain. The strain they both felt as they clung for dear life—or afterlife in Snatcher’s case—shelved their conversation. The train reached the peak, creaking as it arched over, and the front of the train began a very steep descent.

“Hold on, kiddo!” Snatcher jumped onto the sled behind her, arms pinning her in as he held the reins in front of them. She grabbed the scratchy rope and leaned back against his chest, fear lodging in her throat. A second of looking down at a drop almost perpendicular to the ground stretched out like an eternity. Then they plummeted.

Hat and Snatcher both screamed. Hat squeezed her eyes shut, yelling as her lungs felt frozen in her throat. The train bounded up a sharp angle and Hat squeaked as they rocketed forward. She curled up against Snatcher, terrified.

“Open your eyes, kid!” Snatcher urged behind her.

She peeked as the train flung down a less drastic drop and their sled flew across the sheets of white on the car. They had broken away from the snowstorm and the full moon cast a silver spotlight on a pure white landscape. The round dollops of snow collecting on pine trees and the soft mounds covering the ground reflected like crystal. Breathless, still, from the drop, Hat stared at the scene with wide eyes.

Tilting her head back, she flashed a grateful smile towards Snatcher, who pulled his own gaze from the snow around them. He seemed a little startled by her look but after a moment, he returned a genuine grin.

He shifted his hold on the reins as he wrapped an arm around her to keep her more secure. The sled flew forward, and her heart caught in her throat as Hat spotted a lake frozen in the distance just beyond the curve of a rising mountain.

“Get ready to jump,” Snatcher said, leaning down and nodding forward. She followed the motion and felt her heart drop to her stomach as the train neared a tunnel with a jagged opening. They were two more train cars away from the front engine.

The tiny sled shot forward, leaving tracks in the snow. When they crossed over to the next train, the sled slammed down, jostling them both.

“Are we going to make it?” Hat yelled.

“We better!” Snatcher laughed as the sharp rocks began scraping snow from the top of the engine.

They both leaned forward, picking up speed as they slammed against the final train car. Snatcher’s arm tightened around her as they bent their knees.

“Now!” He yelled as they reached the edge of the car. They leapt from the sled and slipped down between the engine and the train car. The sickening sound of splintering wood screeched above them as the sled met the maw of the tunnel. Snatcher used his other arm to pin Hat’s head against his chest as they dropped. Twisting to further protect her, he knocked back against the door to the engine room with a thud and a grunt before their feet landed on the platform.

“You okay?” Hat asked, though her voice was muffled against his shirt.

“Do I look blue to you?” He grinned before pushing her beanie down over her eyes. She was released, and she could hear the Conductor shuffling close on the other side of the door squawking something like, “what now?”

She pushed her beanie back up in time to watch Snatcher toss her a wink before disappearing in a purple mist. Ice-blue snow that had stuck to his clothes and hat much like she was currently coated in it, tumbled away without his form.

“Lass!” the Conductor groaned as the door swung open. His wing wrapped around her hand and she was yanked inside, immediately feeling the heated air tickle her numb nose and fingers. “What are yer doing? How long were you out there?” He helped to brush the powder off Snatcher’s cloak as she stomped her boots.

Bow swiveled around from the control seat and waved excitedly.

“Bow! I just saw Snatcher!” Hat tore away from the Conductor and darted to Bow’s side.

At the control panel, Hat couldn’t see a thing in the tunnel, though the lights from inside the train shone against the outlines of what looked like Grooves and one of the Express Owls fumbling around on the small platform at the front of the engine.

“You did?” Bow beamed. “He’s here too?”

“No!” the Conductor joined them, his feathers bristling. “That snobby specter complained so much—ah I mean,” he cleared his throat as he backtracked, “I don’t know who you lassies are talking about but if I did, I’m sure he wouldn’t enjoy a trip like this.”

Hat tilted her head. It sounded as if the Conductor really didn’t expect Snatcher to be playing a role. So then why was he hitching a ride on top of the train? Did he actually want in on the fun or was he just bored?

A crashing sound came from outside and the three turned toward the window in surprise right as the headlights for the train flickered back on. DJ Grooves’ silhouette slouched with a sigh and the owl beside him patted his back. The now alit stone tunnel and tracks flashed by as the engine pushed onward. Grooves and the owl slowly crawled back around the platform. A side door opened, and brisk air blew in as the snow-covered birds shuffled inside.

“Grooves! Beaker!” Hat waved as they fumbled to close the door.

“Darling!” Grooves cooed, waddling over in platform boots.

“Greetings!” The Express Owl who dabbled in inventing crossed over. He opened his beak to say more but flinched at the Conductor’s expression. “I-I mean,” he sighed, “I’m just humble engineer two.”

“Did everything go alright with the lights?” Bow asked.

“The lights are fixed, darling,” Grooves clicked his tongue as he whirled on the Conductor, who straightened his back and furrowed his brows. Grooves poked his chest with a flipper. “It would have gone better if someone gave better instructions! Or fixed it himself!”

“I’m the Conductor!” His tail fanned out in frustration. “I’m not supposed to fix the train! That’s the engineer’s job!”

“Someone is a little too obsessed with method acting,” Grooves whispered to the girls, earning a gaggle of giggles.

“This isn’t method acting, and it’s not a movie!” the Conductor insisted.

Movement caught Hat’s eye and she turned towards Beaker, causing everyone else to look too. Beaker held a camera in his wings with the red record light on and it was pointed at the scene before them. He blinked his wide eyes and sheepishly readjusted his glasses as the Conductor glared a nonverbal command.

“Preserving memories?” Beaker offered, tilting his head down so the brim of his newsboy cap helped to hide his features.

“Alrighty then, time for you girls to get back to yer friends,” the Conductor huffed, motioning for them to shuffle out.

Bow jumped out of the seat and grabbed Hat’s hand.

“Whoa! Your hands are cold!” Bow immediately rubbed Hat’s hand clasped between hers, trying to help generate heat.

“Snatcher and I rode a sled down the train,” Hat informed merrily.

“Sounds like fun,” Bow beamed (while the adults in the room listened with mild looks of horror unnoticed by the girls). “It seemed to lift your spirits!”

“What do you mean?” Hat asked as they followed the Conductor back out into the cold as he led them through the next car.

“Well, you’ve been—whoa,” Bow’s eyes went wide as they came to a dimly lit car filled with broken puppets and strings. “What’s this?”

Piles of old toys and broken items littered the large space. A telephone was buried by the right wall and suitcases were scattered among the piles.

“Don’t worry about the mess,” the Conductor informed, disappearing further down the train. His hat was the only thing visible from behind a pile of toys. “It’s something new Gro—ahem—the Engineer and I are working on for the holidays.”

“Together?” Bow asked, about to climb over the pile after him but pausing when she caught Hat picking up a puppet with tangled strings.

“We were thinking we could repurpose old toys and donate them to other kiddies and young’uns. And of course, some of these toys came from Subcon and we want to give those glowing children some new toys that aren’t ancient.” His voice became softer as he moved further away. At one point his rambling became nothing more than a distant mutter.

Hat, meanwhile, examined the puppet curiously. It was a painter with a soft yellow beret and wide rimmed glasses. They wore a painting smock splattered with a rainbow of colors and held a brush in a hand connected to a wrist worn from string.

“Hat?” Bow shuffled over the clinking toys. “You okay?”

Hat nodded, brushing the felt hair that stuck out from under the painter’s cap.

“I was just thinking,” Hat sighed, “how different these toys are from what we grew up with.” Meeting Bow’s uncertain gaze, Hat continued, “remember how we would always get in trouble for making up names and backstories for our tools? And when we first started traveling, we thought we were geniuses for making dolls, only to find a bunch of different kinds all around the galaxy?”

“It’s just because we have a job to do,” Bow offered with a shrug. “We have a specific duty as caretakers of time pieces.”

“I know.” It was an honor, to be a pilot. And it was fun, with Bow. Tracing the painter’s faint rosy cheeks, Hat wondered why it no longer felt like it was enough.

“Let’s go back to the others,” Bow urged. “It’s fun and we’re on vacation!”

Hat frowned, placing the puppet down. Just a vacation? Was that really enough for Bow? Hat hadn’t brought her feelings up yet, unsure how Bow would react. But part of her hoped Bow wanted to stay as much as her.

“Okay,” Hat relented instead. They turned and found themselves facing a towering figure.

“Boo!” Snatcher, still looking human, bent over them with a wicked grin.

“Ahh!” Bow and Hat both screamed, clinging to each other as Snatcher leaned back, cackling.

“Snatcher, you jerk!” Hat stuck out her tongue, though she did feel lighter than moments before.

“Snatcher?” Bow’s eyes widened, “That’s you?”

“Stick to the script, kiddos.” Snatcher clasped his hands as he continued smiling. “I noticed you lagging. Don’t want to end up lost, do you?”

“The Conductor didn’t get too far,” Hat scoffed, climbing up a pile of toys to peer around.

He was gone. Even though she was high enough to see beyond plenty of mounds between them and the door out, she couldn’t see any tail or feather of the Conductor or his hat. Snatcher’s smirk stretched wider at her bewildered features and he had the gall to pretend to hide his cackling behind a hand before motioning for them to follow.

“Let’s go, kiddos. Can’t have you missing out on all the fun activities everyone planned.”

“Snatcher?” Bow called as they trailed behind him. Though he was a ghost, he hiked up and down and around as he forged a path without floating.

“What is it now?” He sounded cheerful and exasperated at the same time. Hat was sure it was an act but sometimes it was hard to tell what he was thinking. His back looked tense, like he was upset about something.

“Why are you here?”

“Geez, kid.” Snatcher turned just in time to see Bow stumble. He automatically reached out a hand and caught hers, keeping her upright as she slid the rest of the way down a pile. “What? After spending all that time in my forest, now you don’t want to see me?”

“It’s not that,” Bow said with her head tilted back as her lavender irises held his golden gaze. “It’s just it sounded like you told the Conductor and everyone else you didn’t want to come.”

“I’m not much of a work-as-a-team kind of ghost,” he paused, noticing Hat also struggling though in a pile of jelly-like toys and sticky things to throw at walls. With his other hand, he took hers too and gently pulled her free of the toys and over to him and Bow. “I wasn’t going to intrude on your night, but then _someone_ nearly fell off of the train in the middle of a snowstorm.”

Hat gave him a smug smirk and he rolled his eyes playfully. As they neared the door, however, he became serious.

“But now, let me ask you two something.” He waited until they were both looking at him before continuing, “What did you two mean about being caretakers of the time pieces? Do all kids your age travel like this where you come from?”

“Mostly.” Hat shrugged. “Though Bow and I graduated sooner because we’re the top of our class!”

“We start our apprenticeships from the moment we’re born,” Bow explained, seeing Snatcher’s tight brow. “Since our people are entrusted with time pieces, we all have to always put in a lot of care into maintaining the order of time. Especially since…” she trailed off, hesitating.

“In the wrong hands, time pieces can do unspeakable damage,” Hat continued, squeezing Snatcher’s hand as she remembered the terrible tales her mentor told her of a war between the sun and the moon and the darkness at the end of time. “It’s like what Mu did, but at a greater scale.”

“Ah.” Snatcher nodded, though he did seem bewildered. “Your parents must be proud, right? Top of your class and saving the world!” His wide grin quickly smoothed out his knitted brow.

“Don’t know,” Hat replied lightly, skipping a bit as they reached the door. “We’re handed over to mentors when we’re babies.”

“They don’t keep in touch?” Snatcher kept his tone light though his grip on both of their hands tightened.

“It’s not common for parents to keep talking with their kids.” Bow shrugged, reaching for the door as she said, brightly, “that’s why it’s been really fun here!”

Snatcher nodded as the cold weather assaulted their features the second they left the car. Still holding onto them, he helped to ensure no one slipped on the patches of ice in the wood. Once they reached the main dining car that was void of laughing crows, they found the Conductor, still prattling, as he reached for the door across the way.

“And that’s why we were—what?” He jumped when he realized the girls weren’t right behind him, before looking back and jolting in disbelief. “How’d you get all the way back there? And who the peck is that?”

“He’s the King of the North Pole.” Hat lifted Snatcher’s hand with hers. At her introduction, Snatcher seemed to preen, puffing out his chest as he flashed the Conductor a wicked smile.

“There’s no such thing!” The Conductor placed his wings on his hips. “How the peck did you get on me train?”

“Clearly, I flew.” Snatcher smirked. His tone lowered as he kept his smile plastered on his features. “But it might interest you to know you left the kids in the dust, there, Conductor. Might want to keep a better eye on the stars of the show.” He then raised a brow. “Actually, do you even have eyes?”

“That’s it!” The Conductor growled as the girls giggled. “Ticket! Now! Or else I’ll toss yer off me train.”

They met in the middle and Bow and Hat watched as Snatcher released their hands. He tapped his chin, patting down his pants as if looking for a ticket.

Bow, still wearing the Conductor’s coat, looked down in one of the pockets and flashed Hat a grin. Hat caught her mischievous look and bounded onto the other side of the Conductor.

“I’m sure it was here somewhere,” Snatcher muttered, stalling for time as the Conductor gave him a smug look.

“So how much longer until we reach the North Pole?” Hat asked, directing the Conductor’s gaze away.

Bow pulled out a golden ticket and tugged on Snatcher’s sleeve. His eyes brightened as he accepted, though with a questioning look. Bow motioned to the pocket glowing gold with more tickets and he covered his mouth, stifling a laugh.

“Soon, lass,” the Conductor promised before whirling back towards Snatcher and Bow, who immediately assumed casual looking poses.

“I believe this is my ticket.” Snatcher dipped into a bow as he extended the flash of gold paper.

“What?” The Conductor swiped the ticket away and squinted at it. “How did you get this?”

“Does it matter?” Snatcher snatched it back, grinning widely. “Point is, I’m here legally and you have no right to kick me off the train.”

The Conductor grumbled before turning.

“Fine but yer going to have a chat with me about rider expectations.”

The four crossed over to the next car, but when the smell of baked cookies and melted chocolate wafted from the hot kitchen, Snatcher disappeared. Hat and Bow glanced behind them, worried as the Conductor closed the door, but when they crossed deeper into the kitchen, they understood why.

In the middle of the kitchen, Queen Vanessa hunched over a cookie sheet she was currently lining up dollops of cookie dough onto. Around Vanessa, the air was distorted by wavering shadows and her scarlet eyes glinted dangerously as she looked up. If Hat looked directly at Vanessa for too long, she felt like she could hear a deadly screeching sound.

“Hello, dears!” Vanessa said in her ragged and high-pitched voice. “Lovely weather outside, don’t you think?”

“Hi, Vanessa!” Bow skipped over, watching Vanessa scoop the dough with one spoon and then use another to gently dig it out and onto the grease sheet. “It is nice outside, but a little too cold for me.”

“Maybe a cookie will warm you up,” Vanessa cooed, gesturing to the freshly baked cookies cooling by the stove, where Cooking Cat stood, stirring a pot of hot chocolate.

“Help yourself, sugars!” Cooking Cat called.

“Can we bring back some for Mu and Timmy?” Bow asked.

“Of course!” Cooking Cat smiled, handing over a napkin to wrap up extra treats.

“Cat, dear,” Vanessa backed away from the baking sheet that was staring to frost over. “The next batch is ready.”

“You work faster than a Mafia Goon riding a rocket!” Cooking Cat breathed, shuffling over and grabbing the tray with an oven mitt before retreating to the warm oven. Vanessa’s giggles in response to the compliment sent chills down everyone’s spine though there was no malice behind the action.

“Right, err, let’s keep moving, lassies,” the Conductor seemed eager to get out of the kitchen as he kept a wing on the handle.

“Have fun, Bow Kid and Hat Kid!” Vanessa trilled, waving a gnarled hand. “Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas!” Bow and Hat chimed.

Hat noticed this was the first time the Conductor didn’t try to force one of the adults to pretend to not know them.

The next car was the passenger’s area, and Mu and Timmy leapt up excitedly, declaring they were just in time for a board game. Bow ran over with her napkin filled with cookies and Hat trailed behind. While cookies were passed around, Hat noticed a slight purple mist appear behind the preening Conductor before Snatcher popped back into focus, remaining in his human form and giving Hat a mischievous smile. The Conductor, sensing his presence, turned around and yelped, causing the other kids to look up and laugh.

While the Conductor demanded Snatcher not sneak up on him like that again only for Snatcher to disregard every word, Hat joined the other three as they all squished onto and around a seat where Timmy and Mu had set up the board game. The kids played, munching on gooey cookies and getting crumbs everywhere, until they reached the North Pole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snatcher was playing "Carol of the Bells" in case you were curious. :D Okay Now the last chapter reaaaaally deviates from the movie/book lol but hope you enjoy!


	3. It's the Spirit of the Season

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this case perhaps it's the spirit(s) of the season :3c
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!!! I hope this was a delightful read and I hope you are enjoying the season with loved ones whether they're near or far. Please take care of yourself and may kindness and love mark your holiday. <3

The train slowly came to a stop in a scaled down city. Tiny stores and apartments with worn bricks lined a freezing courtyard. Snow piled towards the edges of streets and sidewalks, which were occupied by seals in red and green bow ties scooting slowly towards their destinations while subconites darted around, carrying decorations and presents. Despite how the backdrops were well painted with depth, Hat could see the edge of cardboard in a few places. Beyond the set pieces, a city skyline lit up with golden lights and Christmas decorations lined the buildings cutting through the horizon. The slight hint of a fishy smell followed the breeze when they disembarked, and Hat wondered if they were somewhere close to the Arctic sea.

“Put these on,” the Conductor instructed, handing out gloves, mittens, scarves, and extra coats for Timmy and Mu. Hat flexed her fingers in her purple gloves, grateful for the extra coverage as she pulled Snatcher’s cloak tighter around herself.

“So, where’s Santa?” Hat tilted her head, gaze settling on the Christmas tree at the center of the courtyard. There was a large sleigh by the tree and subconites were quickly tossing presents into the back while a couple seals tried to also throw presents into the sleight, but their flippers and short stature left them barely able to give the wrapped boxes over their head, let alone high enough to reach the sleigh. Luckily, one Subconite noticed the seals’ struggle and began helping them.

“I don’t know,” the Conductor glanced at a clock tower far beyond the set. Squinting, he scratched at his chin. “I might go investigate. You kiddies stay here.” He headed down the street and over to the sleigh.

Hat shuffled idly, still taking in the sights. She wasn’t sure what to expect. If the seals were here, did that mean the Walrus Captain would come out dressed as Santa? She glanced towards Bow, who was looking at all the Christmas lights with wonder.

“Are you excited to see Santa?” Bow asked, catching Hat’s gaze.

“I’m waiting to see who puts on the suit.”

“What do you mean?”

“Clearly, it’s going to be someone we know, right?” Hat smirked. “Right now, my bet is on the Walrus Captain. What do you think?”

“I bet it’s going to be the actual Santa Claus.” Bow turned up her nose and looked away.

“You do not,” Hat teased. “After all the script talk?”

“Well,” Bow said pointedly, her brows furrowed, “why not? Why can’t it be the real Santa?”

Hat was about to retort, confused that Bow was actually buying into it, when the Conductor’s yell could be heard from across the square.

“Missing? What do yer mean, missing?”

A small seal tried to appease the Conductor, who was tapping his shoe while crossing his wings. Hat exchanged snorts with Mu and Timmy, but Bow didn’t join in, even when Hat nudged her with her elbow.

Squabbling continued and Hat shivered in frigid air.

“I’m going back into the train,” she muttered, heading for the caboose with the furnace.

“But what if you miss Santa?” Mu called.

Hat shrugged, not really caring. She nearly ran into a seal who was suddenly sleeping in front of the stairs. She jumped over the seal with a subdued sigh and shuffled into the caboose. The warmer room instantly helped to sooth her frustrations, but as she wandered across the blue flooring, she wondered if the work everyone was putting into the Santa thing was worth it.

Soon enough, the door creaked open and Hat turned, finding Bow standing at the entrance, letting cold air blow in behind her.

“Are you coming back?” Bow asked tiredly. A few subconites jumped over the railroad coupling. One dropped a present.

“I don’t know,” Hat muttered, hugging herself. “It’s warmer in here.”

“You’re not having fun?” Bow remained in the doorway.

“Not really.” Hat stared at the snow melting on her boots, keeping her head down. Though, that wasn’t really true. The sledding had been fun, and even the board games. The fact they had been _too_ fun was the problem.

Someone shouted for the seal to wake up and help grab the fallen present.

“Why not?” Bow pushed.

“I don’t know.” Hat bristled, digging her nails into her arm. “Look, not all of us can be good at pretending we’re normal Earth kids before shooting back home and getting back to work like you! I can’t keep doing this!”

“Hat,” Bow’s plea came faintly.

Before anything else could be said, the seal bounced up against the coupling. A plink of a knuckle pin coming lose followed a small, “ouwch!” The caboose creaked as gravity pulled it away from the rest of the train. Hat and Bow exchanged wide-eyed glances as the car slipped down the tracks.

“The bre—oof!” Hat began before tumbling against the ground. She slid back with a squeak before scrambling to her feet.

“Where is it?” Bow asked, clinging to the door that flung her into the car as they sped back down a hill. A click came from outside and the car took a sharp turn, causing the door to swing closed but before Bow could get caught between it and the wall, she let go and tumbled down towards Hat, who had also been knocked down from the swift change in direction.

The caboose picked up speed and the momentum thrust the girls back against the wall. Hat reached out for Bow and Bow took her hand as they screamed. A sharp sound of threads lashing against screeching metal accompanied the slowing of the car. Hat pulled Bow into her and the girls squeezed their eyes shut as the caboose came to a sluggish stop, though it remained at a frightful angle.

“I want to stay,” Bow whispered against Hat after a moment of trembling.

“What did you say?” Hat blinked, glancing towards the door, hanging ajar, at the top of the caboose. The night sky with the full moon shone a soft spotlight through the opening.

“I want to stay here, on Earth,” Bow muttered, sniffling as she pulled back and rubbed her eyes. “I’ve been enjoying this because I’m afraid of when it’ll end. But if you aren’t having fun… I’m sorry.”

Hat froze, eyes wide as Bow shrugged meekly, chin pointed down in dismay.

“Girls?” A familiar, strained voice called from outside. “Girls, is everyone alright? I’m doing my best to hold the car but—urk—I can’t hold it for long.”

“Moonjumper?” Bow gasped. Hat pushed herself up before holding a hand out to Bow. Together, they hiked towards the opening, helping to hold each other steady when one of them slipped. At the top, they jumped out into the cold and spotted Moonjumper struggling to hold the car back with scarlet threads that were tied around his fingers.

“Hurry, please!” He winced and the caboose lurched. The girls quickly stumbled toward the side of the platform and leapt onto a wide, level step of a series of stairs that followed the railroad track down. Once Moonjumper was sure they were safe, he released the threads with a snap and the caboose shot down the hill and out of sight. The sound of crunching metal came from afar and the three winced but at least no screams accompanied the crash.

“Phew,” Moonjumper sighed, his back hunching as he floated down. “Are you little ones alright? What on Earth happened?”

“I was trying to warm up inside,” Hat began.

“And the knuckle pin was knocked out of the coupling,” Bow finished.

“Oh, dear.” The masked ghost clicked his tongue against his teeth, glancing over his shoulder and causing his unkempt, dark blue hair to bounce with his movement. He turned back, the mask hiding his features though his voice was laced with worry. “I can take you back to the courtyard—”

“Actually.” Bow used her free hand to grip her other arm. “I think Hat and I are getting pretty tired. It might be best if we go back to the ship.”

“Gracious, are you quite sure?” Moonjumper drooped, causing his tattered red tunic to brush against the ground. “Was it because Santa was late?”

“No,” Hat interjected, giving Bow’s hand a squeeze. “And I’m actually feeling better.”

“You are?” Bow brightened, her gaze hopeful.

“Yeah.” Hat nodded. “I just… I want to stay here too.”

“Really?” Bow asked and when Hat nodded, she threw her arms around her. Hat smiled, returning Bow’s embrace, but a nagging feeling ate at her heart.

Didn’t this just mean that they would both hurt more in the end? When Christmas was over and when they retrieved their last time pieces, would they only face a sorrowful goodbye?

“Little ones?” Moonjumper lowered even further, as if kneeling down to meet their gazes. “Is everything alright?”

They both nodded as they pulled away, but he could see the tightness in their expressions.

“We’re ready to go back!” Hat chirped, squeezing Bow’s hand.

He hummed, not seeming like he believed them.

“Very well,” Moonjumper said, pulling away. “Come along then. Have you two decided what you’ll ask for from Santa?”

“I don’t really need anything,” Hat admitted.

“Me too,” Bow added. “We’re just glad to spend time with everyone.”

“There’s nothing?” Moonjumper tilted his head back, his frostbitten hands clasped behind him. “Not even a small toy? New book? One of those video games you like?”

Hat snickered a little at how he referred to video games. She and Bow had dragged both Moonjumper and Snatcher into playing _Corgi Quest_ with them but Moonjumper often struggled to get into the gameplay.

“Hmm.” Moonjumper spun around, tapping his mask. “Maybe you want something larger than that? Do you two want the moon?” He lifted his hand towards the sky, so it looked like the moon rested in his palm. Then, scarlet threads whipped out and tied together, looking like a ribbon laced around the pale moon like a wrapped gift. “Because I’ll give you the moon!” His voice matched the toothy grin on his mask.

“You can’t give us the moon,” Hat scoffed while Bow giggled.

“Sure can!” Moonjumper chuckled, spinning back around and flicking his threads into a rope. “I’ll lasso it and pull it down if it would make you happy. So, please,” he pulled the threads back, rubbing his palm where the red disappeared, “don’t hold back. Whatever you ask Santa for; we’ll all be sure to help him make your wishes come true.”

He clasped his hands back behind his back, listening and waiting. When neither girl responded, he turned towards them, pausing when he noted their slumped shoulders.

“Oh, I am sorry. Was it something I said?” He stiffened.

“I just—” Bow muttered tightly, and Hat felt the same desperation that her friend did. “What if we want something bigger than the moon?”

“What is it you want?” Moonjumper asked gently.

“Earth,” Hat answered, biting back her lip right before it could tremble. Bow squeezed her hand and she squeezed bad.

“Well, the good news is that’s quite a bit closer,” Moonjumper teased, but when they didn’t react, he knelt down once more, looking between their guarded features. “What is it about the Earth?”

Hat shared a glance with Bow. They both didn’t know what to say, but Hat was sure they were thinking the same thing.

They wanted to stay on Earth, to stay with Snatcher and Moonjumper and the subconites and everyone else. But… it seemed a request bigger than the moon and more precious and fragile than a time piece. It might shatter the moment they spoke it.

When they didn’t respond, their lips pressed into anxious, thin lines, Moonjumper silently reached out his hands, the chains on his wrists clicking lightly. After a moment, they each took one of his hands and he floated between them, giving them both a squeeze.

“Little ones,” he began, “I won’t force you to ask for a gift, but please know that I and many others here tonight, would do anything to make you happy.”

“All because of Christmas?” Hat asked, crinkling her nose a bit.

“Sort of,” Moonjumper explained. “I suppose this all seems like a lot for the holiday. I’ve heard the Conductor has been pushing for maintaining the illusion of this all being effortless Christmas magic, so to speak. But we would all be there for you any time of the year. A holiday gives us an excuse to splurge and spoil you, is all. Don’t you have holidays back on your planet?”

“Yeah?” Hat thought back.

“A few, but Hat and I don’t usually celebrate them,” Bow explained.

“Too busy.”

“And it would just be us anyway.”

“I see.” Moonjumper looked between the girls. He became more determined as he led them back to the courtyard. “Then we better make this the best Christmas for you, girls! Fret not; we’ll take care of it.”

Once they reached the courtyard, Mu and Timmy rushed up, asking “what happened” and “are you okay?” and “the whole pecking caboose just whooshed right out of there!” Moonjumper patted the girls’ heads before floating off to the sleigh where the Conductor was still yelling about Santa but now Grooves and Beaker were there trying to calm him down. Moonjumper managed to draw his ire for a bit before he shoved the ghost towards a cardboard structure with a functioning door. Moonjumper paused at the entry, where a shifting shadow seemed to speak with him. Moonjumper tilted his head towards the girls and the shadow in the doorway nodded.

Wondering if he was discussing something with Snatcher, Hat was tempted to run over there, but she paused as the Conductor returned, muttering that they had to wait a while longer, but Santa would be there soon.

Mu helped to pass the time by teaching them all another game. Even the Conductor joined. It went well until a flash of red zipping over to the sleigh caught the Conductor’s attention.

“Where’s you’re pecking hat?” He bolted back over to the sleigh and the kids all looked at each other before chuckling and chasing after.

“It disappeared; that’s why I took so long. I was trying to find it—ah.” Moonjumper stiffened as the kids ran up.

Dressed from head to torso in a ruby red coat with white faux fur lining the edges and sleeves, Moonjumper adjusted the full, curly white beard strapped to his chin. He had left behind his mask, revealing frostbitten features that echoed Snatcher in his human form. Though his bloodshot eyes seemed faded underneath Moonjumper’s shaggier bangs. He was missing a Santa hat.

“Ho, ho, hello, little ones!” Moonjumper floated back towards the sleigh and quickly sat down. “Are you having a happy Christmas?”

Mu and Timmy cheered while Bow and Hat beamed at Moonjumper, surprised and intrigued by his role as Santa.

“Alright, line up,” the Conductor ordered. “You can all see Santa.”

Hat and Bow quickly planted themselves behind Timmy and Mu, who were both shocked and tried to get them to go first anyway.

“You should be the first ones,” Timmy urged, motioning them forward.

“We don’t know what to ask for yet,” Hat waved her hand. “You guys go first.”

Mu shrugged before skyrocketing forward. Moonjumper chuckled as he caught her, and she kicked her feet as she perched and listed what she wanted. Soon, Timmy followed after her and while he listed a few magic books, Hat and Bow looked at each other nervously.

“And now you, little ones,” Moonjumper called, motioning for them both to sit with him.

Hat and Bow slowly crawled up onto the sleigh beside him. Gently, he put his arms around their shoulders. Hat leaned into his side, feeling the soft coat against her cheek. Peeking around his chest, she saw that Bow was doing the same on Moonjumper’s other side.

“Would you like to tell me what you want for Christmas?” Moonjumper asked softly.

“I think this is all we need,” Bow whispered.

“Yeah,” Hat agreed, almost wishing they could slow down or freeze time. “This is enough.”

“Geez, kids, way to aim high,” a sarcastic voice said from beside Hat. She jerked, turning around with wide eyes to find Snatcher in his human form, once more, with a wide smirk on his features and a roll of parchment in his hand and a new hat on his head.

“What are you—?” the Conductor started to yell, but Mu and Timmy pulled him back, shushing.

“That’s where my hat went,” Moonjumper said, unimpressed.

Snatcher tossed Moonjumper a wink, his arm resting against the back of the sleigh as he angled himself towards the three.

“Since you two are terrible at the whole asking for gifts thing,” Snatcher cleared his throat, “Moonie and I have come up with a gift.”

Hat glanced at the roll in his hand and promptly frowned.

“A contract?” she asked.

“Not exactly.” Was that a hint of blush on Snatcher’s cheeks or was even his incorporeal form able to turn pink in the cold? “I mean, maybe technically. But not what you’re picturing. Uh. Listen—ah—just read the dang thing.” He practically threw it into Hat and she fumbled to catch it. Bow leaned around Moonjumper and Hat held the roll so she could see as she untied the scarlet ribbon. Meanwhile, Moonjumper scooted back and shared a glance with Snatcher. Hat unwound the parchment.

Adoption papers.

Paragraphs describing the legal process and how being adopted by both Snatcher and Moonjumper meant the girls could go anywhere in Subcon and they would officially be under their protection until the end of time and even after filled the pages. The papers in Hat’s hand trembled as her large blue eyes found one particular section in which fatherly duties were laid out, promising to care for them and love them. They were already sighed by both Snatcher and Moonjumper.

Hat and Bow exchanged looks. Bow’s lavender eyes watered and Hat bit her lip.

“It’s not quite the whole Earth,” Moonjumper offered gently, “but us and Subcon might be a start.”

“If you want,” Snatcher tagged on gruffly. “If you accept, we’ll take damn good care of you. It’s all in writing. Uh… kiddo?”

Tears blurred Hat’s eyes the longer she stared at the paper. She registered that Bow was sniffling and that was enough to crack open her dam.

“Oh, girls,” Moonjumper cooed as they both pressed their faces into his coat and proceeded to stifle their sobs with its softness. Hat reached back blindly until she found Snatcher’s hand and yanked him into the hug. Awkwardly, Snatcher draped his arm around them as Moonjumper pulled the girls closer.

“You want to be our family?” Hat whispered with a whine.

“Yes.” Snatcher pressed his cheek against her beanie.

“We have for some time,” Moonjumper added.

“Us too,” Bow said with her voice cracking. Hat could only nod, biting back overwhelmed sobs.

After a few moments of Snatcher and Moonjumper holding the crying girls, Hat inhaled a shaky breath and made a grabby motion with her hand.

“Someone give me a pecking pen,” she choked out, earning a familiar boisterous laugh from Snatcher that she loved. A quill was pushed into her open palm and, sloppily, she signed her name and passed it over to Bow, who also signed through sniffling.

“You two got adopted by Santa for Christmas,” Timmy commented as Snatcher took back the adoption papers. “That’s rad.”

“This means you’re staying?” Mu beamed. “Because I got loads more I want to teach you guys!”

Hat and Bow smiled, rubbing their eyes. Bow yawned and Moonjumper chuckled.

“I think it’s time we get you to bed,” he murmured as he scooped Bow into his arms and Snatcher gingerly took Hat.

“The train’s ready to go!” The Conductor nodded, looking satisfied. “Yer can sleep on the way to me house for our Christmas celebration tomorrow.”

“Don’t you mean the other Conductor’s house?” Hat smirked mischievously and Snatcher snorted.

“Hey!” the Conductor squawked.

“No, no, she’s right.” Snatcher pushed to his feet, careful to keep Hat steady as she nuzzled against his shirt, gripping the purple fabric. “Let’s shake a tail feather and head over to the _other_ Conductor’s house.”

The Conductor grumbled, taking Mu and Timmy’s hands as they all made their way back to the train right as the seals and subconites returned the caboose. Moonjumper shed the fake beard and was quick to put his mask back on, though he opted to stay in the Santa coat for convenience.

“Oh, and before I forget, tickets!” The Conductor forced everyone to line up and revealed his hole puncher. He made a show of stamping out full words for Mu and Timmy. Hat raised a pointed eyebrow at Snatcher, who snickered at her look of disbelief. Finally, Moonjumper floated forward with Bow, who handed over her ticket. The Conductor grinned as he swiftly spelled out a word.

“Hope?” Bow wondered.

“Aye.” The Conductor motioned Snatcher over with Hat. Taking her ticket, he punched out a lengthier word.

“Believe.” Hat tilted her head.

“I wanted to give you lassies what might be the most important things to carry through yer whole lives,” the Conductor explained gently. “I thought a little Christmas magic might help.”

“I love it,” Bow said, clasping the ticket with Hope engrave in it to her chest.

“Yeah, yeah,” Snatcher pulled out his blank ticket. “Gimmie a word too. I’m also a passenger.”

The Conductor shot Snatcher a glare but took the ticket anyway. After some grumbling, he handed it back.

“Peckneck?” Snatcher gasped, feigning offense for a half a second before nodding in acceptance. “Touché.”

The Conductor smirked as they climbed aboard.

Later that morning, when they all arrived at the Conductor’s home, they would spend the day eating, watching Christmas movies, and singing carols with family and friends. But before that, Hat and Bow found themselves snuggled up with their new dads on the train as Timmy and Mu spread out on their own seats nearby to sleep. Snatcher summoned a large blanket that covered the four of them, and before sleep could fully claim the girls, Hat pulled out the gifts she and Bow had crafted for them from her hat.

Matching golden crowns made from Hat’s special yarn complete with decorative green and red bows from Bow’s stash of ribbons were presented to Snatcher and Moonjumper. This time, they were the ones to get choked up while Hat and Bow christened them with Christmas crowns.

“Do you like it?” Hat asked, beaming up at Snatcher who glanced away, his cheeks flushed.

“It’s fine,” he muttered before clearing the lump in his throat. Satisfied, Hat plopped down between him and Bow, who was leaning into the crook of Moonjumper’s arms. Snatcher pressed closer, tugging the blanket up and around them. Hat leaned against his side and reached for Bow’s hand under the blanket. Her eyelids grew heavy though she managed to give Bow a squeeze when their fingers clasped together.

“Snatcher? Moonjumper?” Hat whispered as the lights went down in the passenger car. “Thank you.”

Snatcher’s large hand found her shoulder and he gave it a squeeze.

“Thank _you_ , for coming into our lives and,” he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, “and for staying.”

“We love you both,” Moonjumper whispered gently, fixing Bow’s bow. “Very much.”

“We love you, too,” Bow returned, quietly. Hat gave Bow one last smile before she closed her eyes.

The train rolled forward with a stark whistle and rhythmic clanking of the wheels against the rails. But what lulled the girls to sleep was the gentle humming coming from Snatcher and Moonjumper. The harmonized lullaby carried love into their dreams and the girls felt only joy knowing they could do something like this again next year and the year after and the year after. Because they finally found their home. A home where they were, and always will be, loved.


End file.
